I know we have said it before, but I really like the look of this New South Wales team for Origin II in Sydney next Wednesday night. The return of Greg Bird is a huge bonus. This fellow is as competitive and aggressive as they come and just the kind of character NSW need in this vitally important fixture.

The big decision for coach Laurie Daley was obviously choosing which players were going to replace the Morris brothers, who were so brilliant in game one of the series. In selecting Josh Dugan and Will Hopoate, Daley has trusted gut instinct on the character and talent of these two young men. I guess there would have been more conservative options available to the coach, however, Daley’s attitude right from the start of this series was for his players to play to win at all costs, rather than simply playing not to lose.

In these two uniquely talented young outside backs the coach has two players who believe they can make something happen and they won’t be scared to produce the winning points should the opportunities present themselves. For the record, I believe coach Daley has got it 100 per cent correct.

Coming good: Benji Marshall. Photo: Getty Images

Let’s get behind the Blues.

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South Sydney's win the best so far

South Sydney’s victory over the Warriors in Perth on Saturday night was, to my mind, the best performance of any NRL team this season. The first 40 minutes of this contest was State of Origin quality and intensity. The two teams entertained the large crowd with a wonderful exhibition of power, courage, precision and skill.

I have to admit that while watching the game it felt like the Warriors were definitely getting the better of their opponents early in the second half as they raced out to a handy lead. What happened in the next 40 minutes will be burnt onto my brain for the rest of the season as we contemplate likely premiership winners for 2014. Despite looking beaten, and with injuries to key personnel, the Rabbitohs dug deep to find something extraordinary. They changed the momentum of the contest through pure will and determination. By the end of the match they were running roughshod over the Warriors.

It was a highly impressive performa nce, sounding a warning to all other teams that the Rabbits are a very serious contender for this year’s title.

Benji gives us a timely reminder

Regular readers of my columns over the years will know I have always held a special place for the talents of Benji Marshall. At his peak, Marshall was one of the most entertaining footballers our game has ever produced. Kids loved watching him play. They all wanted to play like Benji.

When Marshall signed to return to rugby league with the Dragons, I always felt it would take him time to find his feet back in this code. Rugby and rugby league are such different games these days. For people to suggest the games are similar really underestimates the difference in playing techniques in both attack and defence.

Benji has struggled a little bit in his first few games back in the NRL, however, it was great to see the smile back on his face on Saturday night as he led the Dragons to a big win over a depleted Sharks outfit. The scheming Marshall had a hand in a number of Dragons tries and some of his passing was reminiscent of the plays he executed at his best when playing with Wests Tigers.

If the Dragons and their fans can just stay a little patient with Benji, then I’m confident he will repay them over the course of his new deal.

Manly’s tough road ahead

Now that we are exactly halfway through the home-and-away season, experts start making predictions on where teams may finish after 26 rounds. I’d much prefer to do this after round 18 when all the teams have had their two byes and the rounds disrupted by Origin are behind us.

However, it is interesting to look today at those teams who have had a disproportionate number of home or away games to this point in the season and what that might mean to their ultimate finishing position. On the plus side, defending premiers Sydney Roosters and the New Zealand Warriors only play four of their remaining 11 matches away from home, while Manly have to play eight of their last 12 matches away from Brookvale. I have little doubt that the minor premiership prospects of the Roosters and the top-eight prospects of the Warriors are well placed as a consequence.

Manly’s task of winning their first minor premiership since 1997 will be made all the more difficult by having so many away games remaining before the September finals. It should also be noted Manly’s only four remaining home games will be against teams currently sitting in the top eight, namely the Roosters, Wests Tigers, Brisbane and Penrith.

Let’s not be greedy on Anzac Day

The idiom ‘‘to kill the goose that laid the golden egg’’ was on my mind when I heard the NRL was considering playing five matches on Anzac Day in 2015. Anzac Day has been a great success for the NRL in recent years, but we need to remind our administrators why such events are successful and how easily we can hurt them long term if we are not careful.

Firstly, the Dragons-Roosters match in Sydney is a special event on the rugby league calendar and continues to attract supporters from many Sydney clubs, not just those fans from the Dragons and the Roosters. If other Sydney clubs are playing elsewhere on the day, even if outside of Sydney, many will stay at home to watch them on TV and we will be in danger of turning the Sydney fixture into just another club game.

Secondly, the proposal to remove the Warriors from the fixture in Melbourne fails to take into account the amount of people the Warriors bring to that game. If removed, I’m afraid their absence will ensure the game in Melbourne declines dramatically as a feature attraction.

Finally, a third evening game in Brisbane on that day, against a non-Sydney team, has appeal but any more games will just ensure the matches eventually lose their lustre and the special place they are now held in by league fans will eventually erode.

Scheduling is all about building habits and the NRL is long past being a five-game-a-day sport. Let’s ensure greed doesn’t ruin what we have built on Anzac Day

The quick tap and the sin bin

We have made a number of changes this season to allow teams to take a quick tap in matches. The 20-metre optional restart, the tap kick for a successful 40-20 and a tap kick for certain penalties conceded outside the 10-metre area of the opposition goal line are instances where we have reformed the rules to allow a quick tap.

I have witnessed a number of instances in both the NRL and the NYC competitions where players have interfered with players attempting to take the quick tap. However, I have seen an inconsistent use of the sin bin by our on-field officials to deal with such behaviour. I would like to see any player interfering with players attempting to take a quick tap sent to the sin bin without exception. Ideally, however, I would like to see the reintroduction of the five-minute sin bin for this offence. Coaches will soon instruct their players to cease such actions. The mandatory use of sin bin for such offences would likely be a sufficient deterrent to ensure such indiscretions are kept to a bare minimum in the course of a season.

Phil Gould is general manager of football at the Penrith Panthers

4 comments so far

Your correct about the Rabbits win over my Warriors.I believe in Dylan Walker's Origin like performance while injured was the main difference.His slicing run for his try turned the game then his play at fullback was ..well..simply great.Walker is a true star in the making who to date has quietly gone about his work while all you commentators go on about players like Tedesco or Luke Brooks.If the Rabbits can field their top side with no injured players out they are real title contenders probably favorites for sure.Please please please don't stop Storrn/Warrior Anzac day clash.It has become a real feature of Anzac day even for non leagues on this side of the ditch!

Commenter

Jacko

Location

NZ

Date and time

June 11, 2014, 6:26AM

Thanks Gus. Just on your Anzac Day point, well made by the way, there should have been an afternoon game in Sydney on Monday afternoon. Schedule two big clubs and it could turn into a Good Friday/Easter Monday-type occasion. The AFL does it well down here; the NRL shouldn't be leaving that day completely open.

Commenter

TK

Location

Melbourne

Date and time

June 11, 2014, 9:14AM

BRETT STEWART wins man of the match against Canterbury, the then competition leader, in front of the NSW coach, and not a mention. Josh Dugan on the other hand, has hardly lit up the World as fullback for St George and the inverse is the situation.

Commenter

RM Northern Beaches

Date and time

June 11, 2014, 11:09AM

If Gus says it's good then it's bad. He is the most biased towards QLD New South Welshman I have ever seen! All game one all he done was throw the boot into us and pretty well cheer on QLD when calling game 1.

If I was Laurie Daley I would kick him so far out of camp his backside wouldn't hit the ground till Melbourne and I used to worship the ground he walked on growing up too. Old SOB had one too many run ins with Collin Love and now he's a state traitor